The year that changed its mind —1936
Neil Mach SpeakerNet Sponsor
- Region:
- South East
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- author and social historian
- Fee:
- Expensed: Speaker would appreciate a contribution towards his travel expenses
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 30th May 2026
- Tagged:
- 1936 | Abdication Crisis | Community History | Edward Viii
1936 was a remarkable year due to the major political shifts that changed world history and produced long-lasting effects that still haunt us ninety-years later.
Major events included the Spanish Civil War, Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia, Hitler’s remilitarization of the Rhineland, and the UK’s Abdication Crisis.
1936 was the year of Nazi propaganda at the Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens’ track triumph, and technical advances such as the Hindenburg’s first commercial transatlantic passage, the launch of the prototype Volkswagen Beetle 'people's car', the Spitfire’s first flight, Alan Turing’s first computer, and the distribution of the K6 red telephone box across Britain.
Culturally, 1936 saw the ‘demise’ of Charlie Chaplin’s iconic ‘Little Tramp’ character as the good-hearted vagrant struggles to survive in “Modern Times” and he becomes stressed at work, turns to drugs, is arrested as a communist, and shacks-up with a nightclub dancer. In the end, Chaplin’s Little Tramp walks into an uncertain future.
The year also saw the rise of lavish musical extravaganzas, with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ vehicle ‘Swing Time’ (that included the songs “A Fine Romance” and the Academy Award-winning “The Way You Look To-night”) leading the way, but also introducing 'The Great Ziegfeld', and the film adaption of Oscar Hammerstein’s “Show Boat” that included Paul Robeson’s famed show tune “Ol’ Man River”.
If you'd like to learn more about the year that Birdseye introduced frozen foods, Mackintosh first produced their Quality Street, Crystal Palace burned to the ground, George Formby sang 'When I'm Cleaning Windows', and Amy Johnson made her last record-breaking flight, then you'll enjoy this easy-going — relaxed yet informative — slideshow presentation.
Views: 285 | Enquiries: 1About Neil Mach
Neil Mach is considered highly skilled in the art of public speaking.
It doesn’t matter how big or small your audience is, this speaker has delivered his entertaining illustrated presentations to audiences large & small, from theatres to living rooms, from care homes to first schools!
Neil has given his amazing presentations to community groups, Probus clubs, W.I. meetings, U3A groups, care homes, schools, colleges, and neighbourhood associations big-and-small for over five years.
With over 20 books written, Neil is a published ethical author and he describes himself as a ‘hippy grandad' and 'community historian.'
His home is Staines by the River Thames but Neil is willing to travel in the South-East and the Thames Valley and has given his slideshow talks in Leicester, Birmingham, South Kent, and North Bedfordshire.
After retiring from over 35 years in public service, Neil became an internationally recognized author/journalist in the music industry. He founded the ‘Rock Pen’ school to nurture aspiring music writers and made valuable contributions to various esteemed publications, newsletters, and blogs.
During 2021, Neil curated a highly acclaimed exhibition on the ‘Coronation Charts’, which marked the beginning of the pop record charts in British music history. In 2024, Neil arranged a temporary exhibition that focused on Led Zeppelin in 1969. He later conducted presentations on the same subject, and wrote a book on the 'history of suburban rock 'n' roll'.
Neil hosts his own podcast show (now in its fifth year, with over 125 episodes broadcast) and he makes regular appearances on TV and frequent guest appearances on radio and podcast.
If you need him quickly Neil is often available at short notice (less than a week).
Neil is aware of the financial constraints of small community groups and associations, so he offers his illustrated talks for free, but he'd appreciate a reasonable contribution towards his travel expenses.
Neil brings mementos, artifacts, costumes (!) and ephemera with him to aid in triggering audience memories. He also provides his own equipment.
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Other Talks on SpeakerNet by Neil Mach
- Rocking Surrey: History of Suburban Rock and Roll with music journalist Neil Mach
- The Fiction of Romani Culture: Exploring the way Gypsy people are depicted in literature
- Reflecting on 1969: Britain Thrusts into the Space Age
- Surrey Farmland Girls - Triumph on the Land: the story of the Women's Land Army
- Clickety click - life in ‘66: the year that Britain became the envy of the world
- Standpipes and Sex Pistols: Remembering the long hot summer of '76
- How we lived on the brink... Life in Britain during the Cold War 1957-1967
- What is Steampunk fiction?
- The Only Way Is Up : How 1988 shaped the contours of world history
- 1946 - the wonderful year of beginnings
- Discoveries from 1960s children’s television. Lessons learned from Sixties children’s telly!
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